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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28665360">The Prophesied Hero and The Frost Sprite</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EGwrites_casually/pseuds/EGwrites_casually'>EGwrites_casually</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Adventures of Link [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rise of the Guardians (2012), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Developing one-sided crush, Fluff and mild angst, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Growing Up, Jack Frost adopts a little brother, Link (Legend of Zelda) Needs a Hug, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Calamity (Legend of Zelda), Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Tags May Change, The guardians try to raise a child, eventually falling in love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:34:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,700</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28665360</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EGwrites_casually/pseuds/EGwrites_casually</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When an interruption in the timeline went awry, the Goddess Hylia decided it would be best for the young hero to be sent far away from harm. Falling into another world, Link discovers his childhood being filled with wonder, hopes, dreams, and, of course, joy. As he grows older, however, he is told he has a purpose to be fulfilled back in Hyrule. Though, when the time comes, how will he manage to leave his perfect life behind? And what will he do when he loses it?</p><p>Or</p><p>The Guardians decided to raise the young boy as their own, which in turn brought them all closer together than ever before. For Jack and Bunny, perhaps even more.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>E. Aster Bunnymund/Jack Frost, Jamie Bennett &amp; Jack Frost, Link &amp; Jack Frost, Link &amp; Jamie Bennett</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Adventures of Link [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2127216</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Hylian Child</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Had this concept in my head for a while now which sprung from a midnight thought. I hope you guys enjoy reading it and I apologize if there are inconsistencies here and there!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em> Run</em>. His mind shouted, <em> run far away from here</em>. Golden wisps of hair whipped against his face, temporarily blocking his field of vision as he dashed through the forest. Behind, loud squeals could be heard as bokoblins rushed towards him with their sharp, wooden spears and clubs. Several of them rode horses-- just the thought of getting trampled by one sent shivers up his spine. Blindly navigating the dim-lit forest was a challenge in and of itself, and tumbling through twisted tree roots and jagged rocks barefooted was not what Link had originally planned to spend his birthday night. </p><p>A fire wizzrobe appeared in front of the young boy, and with a wave of its wand, the trees suddenly burst into flames. Startled, Link tripped down the steep slope to his right. His frail figure caught every obstacle as he rolled down the hill. He clutched his sides as the roll came to a halt. A shallow gash opened up just below his ribs. He had to keep going. Trying to ignore the burning sensation of the wound, he choked on his sobs as he staggered forward. He covered his nose and mouth with his hand, trying to avoid suffocation in the process from the black smoke. While the forest was now well-lit, the roar of the fire alerted him that it was quickly spreading towards his area. His vision was becoming blurry from both the pain and suffocation, yet he forced himself to limp towards safety. Wherever that is. </p><p>He slipped once more and into a ditch. Link cried out in pain only to silence himself in case the monsters were nearby. He glanced towards his left foot, deformed and bruised. Lips quivering, he gritted his teeth before letting his tears fall, finally letting go of the suppressed burden building up in his chest. He tried to stand up but felt a sharp sting shoot across his leg.  With the raging inferno above him and the inability to climb out and run, he curled up against the mud hoping his soot-covered cloak camouflage him with the rest of the forest. The heat was quickly surrounding his body, and he feared he wouldn't be able to survive the flames. If he did, he’ll probably die off with dehydration soon after. Pulling his hood over his head, he silently prayed for someone to save him, but alas, he knew his cries would not be heard. After all, <em> no one </em>was left to listen to the poor boy. He closed his eyes, ready to accept his fate.  </p><p>However, fate had other plans. </p><p>The ground beneath him abruptly caved in, pulling the boy downwards. Blue magic enveloped the delicate body, gracing him with a cool touch. A few crackles and a warm glow covered the small child. Before long, the boy realized he was falling. </p>
<hr/><p>Jack Frost had never been late to the monthly guardian meetings, which surprised his fellow guardians themselves. Currently, he was spreading joy across cities and towns as kids excitedly watched the flurries drift down onto the rooftops.  He chuckled as he casually glided with the wind, painting frost and forming icicles as he passed by the windows. His eyes glanced up towards the moon with fondness and a bit of annoyance. He still couldn’t forgive the Man in Moon for not talking to him for the past 300 years but decided it was all water under the bridge. It <em>has </em>been a year since the whole Pitch incident after all and a couple of months since he began intruding on a certain someone’s warren. Well, not exactly intruding per se, he volunteered to clean up the mess that the Nightmares-… Jack shook his head. He didn’t want to remember what happened that day. The face Bunny made caused a twinge of ache in his heart, and he didn’t want to deal with that right now. Even so, he still has to thank the Man in Moon for where he is now. </p><p>Flying over once more, he set his path towards the Pole. He estimated he would arrive exactly on time, if not, early enough to mess with one of North’s elves. Maybe even with Phil… Or North. Jack grinned mischievously as he began plotting his usual pranks. Perhaps he should put one of North’s swords in jelly. A large jelly. North hated jelly. His dangerous line of thinking was interrupted when the wind shifted and harshly blew past him, causing him to flail for a moment. He looked up towards the direction the north wind was headed, his eyes wandered around the midnight sky until he was able to pinpoint the strange object. No, not an object, a figure. </p><p>A figure who was falling at a concerning rate of speed towards the ground. </p><p>“Wind!” He yelped as the north wind carried him swiftly towards the falling figure. The wind blasted Jack across the horizon and he held out his arms, coordinating himself with the figure. Just in time, his arms caught the surprisingly small body, faltering his balance with the sudden weight. “A child?” His eyes widen, glancing down on the mud-covered boy, stray golden hair strands sticking out from his hooded cloak. The boy’s distant, dull blue eyes were slightly opened, though it was hard to tell if he was even conscious. </p><p>“Hang on, kid.” He reassured, gently landing in an open field and laid the boy down. Panicking, he checked for a pulse before moving on to find any injuries. <em> Shit</em>, he thought to himself as he glared at all the bruises and scars on the boy’s leg. The boy shifted uncomfortably and Jack found himself staring at the swollen ankle. <em> Crap, this is not good. </em> Carefully, he carried the boy back into his arms before letting the wind take care of the rest. He needed to get to the Pole and fast. </p><p>******</p><p>North hummed a joyful tune as he carved some ice, patiently waiting for the frost sprite’s arrival. Sandy was busy trying not to doze off and Tooth continued to work tirelessly with coordinating her fairies. Bunny, on the other hand, was pacing relentlessly across the workshop. He grumbled something under his breath and stopped before turning around to do the same thing on the other side of the room. </p><p>“Aight, where’s that larrikin at?” Bunny shouted, frustrated, “He hasn’t turned up in the past hour, which is strange.” Tooth pulled herself out of work mode to fully process the situation at hand. She nervously looked out the open window for any sign of the white-haired boy, nothing. North, who was putting up a calm facade, was also slightly alarmed by the lack of the cheeky presence. </p><p>“Perhaps our friend is busy.” North reasoned, “Or he could have gotten distracted. Possibilities are endless!” Okay, that sounded very unconvincing. The entire room grimaced under the lack of a certain presence once more. A few more minutes have passed before the Pooka decided enough was enough. </p><p>“That’s it, I’m lookin’ for that bludger.” North immediately grabbed hold of Bunny’s shoulder before the Pooka could escape. Tightening his grip, he stroked his beard with his free hand and thought for a moment. </p><p>“I was about to say have faith in Frost, but perhaps Bunny is right.” He let go of Bunny and ordered one of the yetis to prepare the sleigh. The Pooka scoffed.</p><p>“The sleigh? Mate, I can easily find him on my own. My tunnels can get me there in a jiffy-” </p><p>“No need to be scared, Bunny. Everybody loves the sleigh! Even you deep down… somewhere.”</p><p>“Oi-”</p><p>“Hey, just a thought,” Tooth interjected quickly, “Perhaps we should stop the bickering for now and go look for Jack. Maybe he’s hurt? Or worse! His gorgeous teeth could have fallen out and was too embarrassed to come!” A small batch of fairies behind her gasped and chirped with concern.  </p><p> Sandy is woken up to find the three other guardians discussing their plan in search of their missing friend. Well, arguing is the more appropriate term. He glanced out the window for a chance to see if Jack had yet arrived. To his surprise and relief, there was Jack now clumsily flying through the sky. </p><p>Odd. </p><p>He peered closer to find an object wrapped in clothing in Jack’s arms. Sandy turned around to alert his friends, however, it seems as though North and Bunny began arguing on ways to potentially “rescue” Jack.  </p><p>“It’s foolproof!” North exclaimed, “Bah! Rabbits are so nervous all the time. Stress affects your thinking-”</p><p>“ ‘scuse me, mate? As I recall, your last plan involved kidnapping the bloke using a sack and a couple of yetis!”</p><p>“It worked, no?” Their bickering was immediately cut short when the said person crashed through the room. Jack skidded halfway in before making a beeline for the couch, carefully laying the boy down. Jack looked back to find the other four guardians staring at him with bewilderment. His face twisted with worry as he slowly stood back to allow the others to see what he had brought. </p><p>Once realizing what it was and that the child was injured, the guardians all contributed to medical assistance with no explanations on how the child got hurt in the first place. An injured child is still an injured child, and they can get to the explaining later. </p><p>North brought in yetis who supplied disinfectants for the wounds and an ankle brace for the sprained. Bunny, in the meantime, went back to his warren to grab a few ointments and to create his concoction that will help numb the pain when applied. Jack sat next to the unconscious boy, often checking his temperature in search of any fever. The boy stirred under his touch, his eyes slightly opening to find himself staring at the white-haired stranger. Sapphire eyes met azure and the guardian sighed with relief. The boy shifted slightly to accommodate his discomfort, and Jack alerted the others of the now awakened child. </p>
<hr/><p>The only person he was vaguely familiar with left hastily and now three new faces appear before Link, all of them he instantly classifies as non-Hylian. His ears were still adjusting to the pressure, so he couldn’t hear what they were saying, unfortunately. However, judging by their gestures, Link didn’t have any difficulty knowing what they were fussing about. He was slowly gaining his hearing back when a tunnel appeared on the far right of the room. </p><p>Jumping out was an oversize rabbit of sorts, markings all over his grey fur. The rabbit’s ears twitched as he assessed the situation. “I see the lil’ ankle-biter has finally awakened.” He stated and Link's eyes grew wide with excitement. To the eyes of a child, one cannot resist when they see something- or <em>someone </em>soft. The rabbit hopped closer within the reaching range of the boy, “Aye, how ya goin’?” </p><p>Link nodded hesitantly as if to reply “good”, he cast eyes downward from the sudden attention. This, however, began the interrogation from all four of the strangers he just met. Oftentimes, they overlapped one another and a headache was already making a comeback to Link. Most questions were the same and were repeated from one form to another. They asked about his name, where he came from, his teeth-- Link has no idea how his teeth even became relevant in these circumstances. But to no avail, Link remained silent. They may seem good people, but he couldn’t find himself trusting them so easily. He didn’t want a repeat of…</p><p>Flashes of imagery of what happened to the night prior sped through his mind. Recounting every detail of the nightly invasion and the chase that ensues afterward. His vision suddenly got blurry as tears were beginning to pile up in his eyes. Biting the inside of his lip, he gripped tightly on his hood to further cover his head from the intruders. That’s when everything went silent for Link. Not a moment later, a crisp tenor voice pierced through the silence.</p><p>“I was gone for a few minutes and here I came back to find you guys making the child cry,” The person mouthed a ‘wow’ before sauntering next beside him and smiled, “Sorry about that. My friends… Well, they don’t go out much.”</p><p>Harmonizing sounds of protest could be heard which was quickly extinguished by the use of the “Sophie incident”. Link shifted uncomfortably from his position, running a few fingers on his side. Strange. He swore he had an open wound here before.  He bent over slightly to peek at his ankle, wiggling his toes in the process. Swollen, but not twisted. He supposed that he’d rather keep it this way. He never wants to visualize a backward foot ever again. </p><p>Jack looked over at Link before turning to his friends, bewildered, “Hold on, have you guys even looked at his wounds yet?” </p><p>With the sudden realization between each person, a mumble of apologies echoed the room. One by one, the strangers began to set out medical equipment in front of him with ease. During that time, Link observed closely at their movements. He didn’t know any of them personally, heck, he didn’t know who they were. Yet in the back of his mind, a small voice whispered a name he soon came to recognize and love. The one who stood out the most from the group was, of course, the hero who saved him: Jack Frost. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Guardians</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Link checked his foot after the large man with a heavy accent finished placing the ankle brace around it. He wiggled his toes once more and glanced up to see expectant eyes. He nodded with a subtle grunt as if to approve of the ankle brace. He then turned his focus onto the bruises and cuts on his limbs, which were now covered with a special ointment. It had only been applied a few minutes ago and yet it’s healing his wounds up pretty fast. <em> Like magic</em>, He thought. </p><p>“Da, now that we have that taken care of,” Link winced at the sudden booming voice, “We must change those clothes into something clean.” Another yeti came into the room bearing the said clean clothes. The outfit itself was made up of various shades of green and red fabrics hastily sewn together. A cartoon reindeer with a red-suited man riding it was plastered on the front of the shirt. Above it was the phrase ‘Ho Ho Ho, Christmas Time’ written in bold letters. </p><p>It was very tacky. </p><p>“Harold, what are you doing?! Aren’t you supposed to be managing the toy department-” The yeti Harold grumbled something in yetish which caused the large man to groan, “Izvinite, ditya. It seems that our tailor Brenda has taken sick leave. This will make do for now.” </p><p>The large man held out the garish outfit and instructed the others to help the boy change into the clean one. Link cringed at the sight and leaned back further into the cushions, hoping it would swallow him up. He wrapped his arms around himself, shielding his tattered clothes from the hideous clothing item. </p><p>“Now that’s just cruel,” The rabbit turned to the man, “I don’t blame the ankle-biter, that is horrendous.”</p><p>“Well, what are we supposed to <em> do</em>, Bunny?” </p><p>“Anything but that.”</p><p>Link pulled his knees up to his chest as best as he can, hugging it for comfort. He didn’t know where he was, who these people were, or how he even got here. <em> I must be dead</em>, He glanced up at the exotic strangers before him, <em> Or dreaming</em>. </p><p>Lavender eyes stared back causing him to flinch when he realized he was caught staring. </p><p>As if acting on instinct, the fairy flitted from behind the man and gracefully kneeled in front of him. She gave a soft, reassuring smile and attempted to soothe the boy. Link visibly flinched when her hands reached up to touch his face. The fairy hesitated at first before deciding what the boy needed the most right now was comfort. She allowed her fingers to gently graze his cheeks as her eyes bore into his. </p><p><em> It’s warm</em>, Link leaned further into her palm<em>, It feels just like mothers</em>. He mentally told himself not to cry and, instead, let out a sigh as the fairy stroked his cheeks lovingly. His eyes, however, betrayed him. Soon enough, tears followed a path down his face. As quickly as they fell, they were wiped away just as fast. </p><p>The fairy panicked, looking back towards her friends for guidance before wrapping her arms around the boy. Link pulled her closer, dampening her feathers as he wept. Her hands began stroking his hair and soon made their way underneath his hood, where her fingers brushed against his pointed ears. </p><p>She suddenly pulled back much to Link’s dismay. </p><p>Her hands traced the edges of his hood before removing it entirely, exposing more of the boy’s golden locks and his ears. </p><p>“Crikey,” Bunny muttered after moments of silence, “Jack, where did you say you found the kid?” </p><p>“He fell from the sky just off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, I believe. I only managed to catch him on time because the wind told me. ” Jack recalled before adding, “I didn’t sense anything strange when I caught him. So I don’t think he’s some sort of fae... right?”</p><p>“Nyet. If he were, you’d have been ambushed long ago.” The large man rubbed the back of his neck, “At least, he’s not a changeling either it seems. Just has very pointy ears.”</p><p>A lightbulb appeared upon what looked like a man made of golden sand’s head and pointed to one of the elves that were stealing a cookie.</p><p>“Takzhe net, he’s too big to be an elf. Even the larger elf variant that I know of is small compared to him.” </p><p>“Wait, wait, <em> wait</em>. Did ya say he fell from the sky?” Bunny interrupted while looking at Jack, “And ya didn’t think that was strange one bit?</p><p>“Ah, well, no.” Jack stammered, “I thought he was a newly-born seasonal sprite at first, but I didn’t sense any of that either…” Besides, Jack had risen to life from a frozen lake. Who was he to judge?</p><p>The sandman pondered for a moment before a golden arrow of sand pointed to the moon and a question mark appeared. </p><p>“But why would Man in Moon send a child down here?” The fairy asked turning to the large man, “North, you don’t think-”</p><p>“Da, it could be possible. It could be like Bunny here, an alien from another world.” North muttered, “Or perhaps a child of the moon…?” It was pretty far-fetched, but that didn’t stop the silence that came over the group. </p><p>The silence stretched on more so than it needed to be, and soon a slight tension filled the air. It wasn’t until Link inadvertently yawned that broke that tension slightly. The exhaustion was finally taking a toll on Link and the sudden change of events was enough to make it catch up to him sooner. North took one good look at the boy before deciding it was best to let him rest while the guardians get this sorted out amongst themselves. </p>
<hr/><p>Jack and Sandy were tasked with tucking the boy in one of North’s guestrooms. Jack gently laid him on the twin-sized bed and wrapped the thick comforters around him. Sandy floated above the child and gave a reassuring smile. The child shivered, his eyes drooped in exhaustion yet remained wary. Sandy placed a warm touch on the boy’s forehead which prompted the said child to relax a bit. He watched as the boy’s mouth opened as if to say something. But nothing was ever muttered, and the boy let his mouth shut as if deciding that his statement would be best unheard. </p><p>Sandy sprinkled some dream sand upon his eyes and soon enough, the boy drifted off to sleep tension-free. Jack sat on the foot of the bed, watching the dream sand paint a scene of horses and chickens running around. </p><p>“Do you think he’ll be alright?” Jack whispered, his gaze remaining on the child. Sandy smiled softly, lifting a bit of sand to communicate with his fellow guardian. </p><p><em> “I’m sure he will,” </em> He signed, <em> “He’s gone through a lot, it was a good idea to let him rest. We can always ask him questions in the morning. We could properly introduce ourselves to him as well-” </em></p><p>“Ah,” Jack’s eyes widened, “How could I have forgotten, we didn’t even tell him who we were! No wonder the kid was closed off!”</p><p>Sandy placed a finger against his lip reminding the frost sprite of the sleeping boy. Jack quickly covered his mouth and mumbled out an apology. </p><p>“Wait, I have an idea,” Jack whispered, “I need to head over to Jamie’s place real quick. Maybe I could find something for the kid.”  </p><p>He then lifted himself off the bed and hovered above the wooden floorboards. He made his way out the door to let the child rest in peace and Sandy soon followed. The sandman paused just beyond the door frame before turning to check on the boy one last time. The dreams continued painting scenes of golden horses and chickens running around. This time, however, was accompanied by a small boy happily jumping around with the horses. </p><p><em> “May your sleep be peaceful and your dreams be delightful.” </em> Sandy signed with a smile on his face before closing the door behind him. </p><p>****</p><p>Jack sped through the winding hallways, leaving Sandy far behind him. He managed to avoid crashing into the yetis and elves, only to turn a corner and slam into an unsuspecting Pooka. Both tumbling hard, limbs tangled with one another as they sprawled across the wooden floor. Bunny was the first one to snap back into his senses, ripping the frost sprite off him like velcro. </p><p>“Oi drongo, watch where you’re going next time!” </p><p>Jack dusted himself off and huffed, “Long time no see, kangaroo.” </p><p>Bunny’s gaze pierced through him like daggers, causing a slight shiver up his spine. Too bad he couldn’t blame it on the cold. Jack laughed it off and circled the Pooka, hovering a few inches off the ground. He paused halfway when he realized Bunny was staring at him with a dazed look. </p><p>“What’s the matter, Cottontail?” Jack grinned, “Hit your head too hard during the crash?” Bunny resumed back to scowling at the sprite. Jack beamed at him in an attempt to aggravate the Pooka more, unfortunately, it failed. What he received instead was a snort.</p><p>“Why are you rushing anyway, Frostbite?” Bunny grumbled before standing up and shaking his fur from any dirt. Jack watched as the hardened gaze softened just a bit from the Guardian’s face. The sprite shrugged nonchalantly before landing in front of Bunny, leaning against his staff for support. </p><p>“Oh you know, places. I got places to be, things to do-”</p><p>“You’re going to Jamie’s, aren’t ya.” </p><p>“Can’t hide anything from you can I?” Jack let out a chuckle, “I need to ask North for a snow globe. As much as I love flying around the world, I’m still a bit sore from earlier to go a long distance.”</p><p>“<em> Yeahhh- </em> best not go to North right now, mate,” Bunny shook his head, lips twitching up slightly, “How about I take ya there instead? Burgess, was it?” </p><p>Before Jack could answer, Bunny thumped twice on the workshop’s floor creating a tunnel. <em> Oh, North is so going to kill him for that, </em>Jack mused as he dived into the hole with Bunny trailing behind him. </p><p>Soon enough, they both hopped out in front of Jamie’s house. Jack leaped onto Jamie’s window, knocking lightly enough to get the boy’s attention. Jamie looked up from whatever book he was reading- <em> huh, looks like something from science fiction this time </em>-  and immediately unlatched his window.</p><p>“Jack!” His first believer exclaimed, giving a tight hug as the sprite entered the room. Jack returned the hug with a tight squeeze, cool hands reaching up and ruffling the chocolate brown locks. </p><p>Jamie buried his face onto the winter sprite’s hoodie, before looking up to give him a toothy grin. </p><p>“Sure, give all the love to Jack but leave none for the rabbit.” Bunny huffed as he ducked through the window. </p><p>“The Easter Bunny!” Jamie yelped before jumping out of Jack’s arms and into the Pooka. Bunny let out a low chuckle as he patted the boy’s back. “So, wait, why are you guys here? Did… Did something bad happen?” </p><p>“Well, not… exactly,” Jack muttered before correcting himself, “No, don’t worry. Nothing bad happened, just wanted to pick up a few things. Speaking of which, got any spare clothes that you don’t mind donating to the Frost Foundation?” </p><p>“I think I have a few-” Without first questioning it, Jamie quickly went rummaging through his dresser before pulling out several clothing items. He sets them in two piles which he hastily folded and handed both of them to the frost sprite. </p><p>“Woah there, kid. You sure your mum won’t notice the lack of clobber?” Bunny asked as he took one of the piles from Jack’s hand. </p><p>“Yeah, I can always say it’s lost in the laundry or something,” Jamie replied. He pondered for a moment before turning to Jack, “But why do you need the clothes for? I’m sure it’s not for you since- well- it won’t fit you.”</p><p>“There’s a little boy back at the Pole who needs them,” Jack answered as he swung his legs over the window ledge. Bunny had jumped out before him and was already waiting outside, thumping twice and creating a hole in Jamie's backyard. </p><p>“A little boy?”</p><p>“Yeah, he’s around your age I think,” Jack leaped from the ledge, then twisting himself to fully face Jamie as he falls back, “I should introduce you to him someday, he could use a friend!” Before Jamie could reply, Jack and Bunny both descended into the hole which promptly closed up. </p><p>****</p><p>Sandy had dozed off as soon as he hit the couch. With Jack leaving him behind and Tooth left to take care of her duties, Sandy decided to take a quick nap before he too will have to go back to work. Bunny and North, however, were nowhere to be seen. He sighed as he curled up on the couch. <em> No matter, </em> he thought to himself. To be honest, he was perfectly content with his situation. </p><p>A piercing shriek echoed throughout the workshop.</p><p>Several elves nearby winced and one toppled off the table. Sandy slowly lifted one eyelid before inaudibly groaning. He debated whether or not to get out of his comfy position, only to conclude he had to check it out because he was a Guardian. <em> A Guardian with an obligation! </em> He reasoned. </p><p>He stepped out of the room and tried to remember where the noise had came from, which was easier than he thought. Sandy simply followed behind a group of yetis rushing towards the said noise.<br/>
<br/>
Once he stepped into the kitchen, he found his friend grumbling a string of curses. Sandy peered behind North and immediately had to stifle the laughter that was quickly rising within him. </p><p>Plates of cookies, gingerbread, and other sweets that were previously sitting out on the counter were stuffed in jelly. To add insult to the injury, the jellies were all in different shades of Christmas green and red garnished with North’s “one-of-a-kind” homemade sprinkles.</p><p>A note was also left on the side with the words: ‘Just the way you like it, happy eating! :) ’</p><p>“Sandy!” North boomed, “Are you seeing this- this monstrosity!” </p><p>The larger guardian let out a long groan, pinching the bridge of his nose. Sandy floated to reach up and patted his shoulder in reassurance.</p><p><em> “We can always make new batches of sweets,” </em> He signed once he got North’s full attention, <em> “And I bet a nice, cold eggnog will no doubt help you get through this.” </em></p><p>“You’re right as always, my friend.” North sighed before opening the fridge, grabbing the eggnog carton and a couple of cups, “I can always rely on you to cheer me up, Sandy. Come, let us drink together!” </p><p>Just as North tilted the carton, what came out was not North’s “one-of-a-kind” homemade eggnog. Instead, it was mini green-cubed jellies that filled the cup to the brim.   </p><p>It soon spilled onto the counter. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>"Izvinite, ditya" - "Sorry, child"<br/>"Nyet" - "No"<br/>"Takzhe net" - "Also no"</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Reminisce</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Link awoke with a start. He blinked once, then twice, trying to let the fogginess of his mind dissipate. However, he seemed to be on the receiving end of an excruciating headache. </p><p>He glanced around the room he was in, noting the fireplace to his right and the several stockings hanging off it. The room itself was big and could probably fit a couple more beds in. The decor seems to have a theme of red, green, and mahogany with the occasional silver accent. Sun rays entered through the medium-sized window to his left, illuminating the room with a warm orange glow. Though, right now, he’d rather have that window shut. </p><p>Link tried to recall the dream he just had. Or perhaps, was it a memory? He can’t tell. He can’t <em>think. </em> It hurts to think. So he lays there in bed, trying to focus on his other senses. His head, however, made it difficult to do so, getting louder and more relentless.</p><p>Pound.</p><p>Pound.</p><p><em> Pound</em>.</p><p>That was all he felt. He feared any more would split his skull in half. Link clutched his throbbing head, making him squirm against the sheets of the bed. His skin rubbed against the comforter, irritating him and his sanity. So he kicked it off, only to find himself shivering from the cold. Quickly, he scrambled to pull the comforter back on top of him, concluding that it had to stay no matter what. Link continued to shiver underneath the added heat, yet he felt like he was melting at the same time. He groaned as he felt another squeeze from the frontal cortex. </p><p>A subtle creak of the door alerted him of another presence, yet chose not to look at the intruder. Only then did he glanced up when he felt a warm, calloused hand resting on his forehead. Link indulged himself with the touch, closing his eyes and focusing his energy on the fleeting sensation. He sat up slightly and nudged his head further into the palm, only to whimper out when the hand retracted.  </p><p>Something cold touches his lips, and soon, a liquid found its way down his throat. Link took a few sips of the drink-- which irritated his already dry throat. Once finished, he laid back onto his pillow and felt his eyelids heavier than before. </p><p>****</p><p>Jerking himself awake, he found himself cocooned in his blankets. The room was no longer brightened by the harsh sun, rather, it was flooded with the soft blue light of the moon. Out of his peripheral vision, he spotted a figure sitting beside his bed. The figure hummed out a quiet melody, unaware of the now conscious child.</p><p>North continued to whittle away the wood in his hands. A wolf’s face had finally taken form yet the rest of the body still had much to be desired. A slight shift of the bed and his eyes teared away from the wooden carving. He found himself staring at the pale-faced boy, who had dark circles just beneath the pair of faded sapphires. Placing his hand on Link’s forehead, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. </p><p>“Temperature is finally down. Still feverish, but better,” He muttered, “Ditya, how are you feeling?” </p><p>Link opened his mouth to speak, but the sudden vibration to his vocal cords sent a coughing fit instead. He felt himself being sat up and a glass of water was handed to him. At first, he took small sips before gulping them down. Placing the empty cup on the nightstand, he attempted to speak once more. His vocal muscles tighten causing him to wince in pain. He tried again, more forceful this time, only to result in a hoarse voice. </p><p>“Bah, don’t hurt yourself so much. What matters is that you rest and get better.”</p><p>North grabbed a bottle from his pocket and poured its sunset-orange liquid into the empty cup. He raised it towards the boy’s lips, but Link hesitated. Link eyed the liquid with suspicion before begrudgingly drank it all up. He wrinkled his nose awaiting the bitterness that would soon coat his tongue, however, none came. Instead, he was greeted with an earthy taste that has a slight sweetness to it. </p><p>From then on, North would check up on the boy and nursed him back to health using that strange concoction. And every day, Link found himself slowly gaining his energy and strength. It soon became a routine that Link found himself looking forward to, not wanting to be alone with his thoughts for too long. On the fifth day, North believed the boy was well enough for a more meaningful conversation. A bit of questioning to appease his curiosity, even just a little. </p><p>Just like every other routine, North grabbed the chair and sat on the side of the bed. Link waited patiently for the man to speak. The boy’s eyes pinned themselves onto the larger man, his mind, however, remained distant. </p><p>“So,” North began, “It has come to my attention that I have not properly introduced myself. I am Nicholas St. North. But you, my friend, can call me North. I’ve taken that you also have a name, yes? What should I call you?” </p><p>Link pondered for a moment before lifting his hand, double-tapping his throat with two fingers. The Russian man seemed to have taken the hint and mouthed an audible ‘ah’ before reaching into the nightstand drawers. He pulled out a small notebook and pen, handing them to the boy. Link carefully maneuvered the pen across the silky-white page, hidden from North’s view. Once done, Link reluctantly handed the notebook back. </p><p>
  <em> ‘Link. My name is Link.’ </em>
</p><p>As North read, a soft smile crept up to his features. </p><p>“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Link”</p>
<hr/><p>It was on the eighth day when North deemed that Link was back to full health. Which brought relief to both the man and child. For Link, he was no longer confined to the room and was permitted to roam anywhere as he pleased. However, like a duckling, he chose to follow wherever North went instead. </p><p>At first, he distanced himself. Only walking a few feet behind North throughout the morning before slowly inching his way little by little. By lunchtime, he can be seen walking alongside the guardian. </p><p>North found himself chuckling at the child’s behavior. It reminded him of his own children, two daughters and a son. He could still distinctly remember his family and reminiscing about them didn’t ache as much as before. It has been, after all, hundreds of years ago and he made sure all of them lived a good life. His eldest daughter loved to explore the wilderness and would often take hikes on the nearby hills of the villages. His son had always enjoyed a bit of training with the shashka and eventually mastered the technique of the blade. His youngest daughter, on the other hand, never had an interest in seeking adventure nor learning swordplay. Instead, she’d rather read books or quietly sing while she played.</p><p>He risked a peek at the child, often catching him staring in awe at the various displays of toys or how he observes the Yetis and elves with intrigue. Link didn’t say a word between discoveries. Instead, his eyebrows would knit together as if pondering about the new findings. When coming to a conclusion, his eyes would brighten up and his lips curl slightly. In each of those moments, he felt a spark of wonder arising from the child. </p><p>The wonder itself was warm and jovial, yet it would last for a couple of seconds before being fully extinguished.</p><p>Link is just like <em>her </em>-- quiet, reserved, and curious. His youngest daughter always loved his wood carvings, admiring the intricate designs and the effort put into them. When she didn’t know about something, she would often try to find out on her own. Like Link, her eyes sparkled over the new knowledge. Then she would give out a toothy grin as if hiding the world’s most valuable secrets. </p><p>He felt the wonder spike before quickly dying out once more. He looked over at Link who was staring at the toy soldiers. Why does his wonder only last so little? Or could it be that he’s suppressing his own wonder? </p><p>He needed to find the answers. So, of course, he went through different sections of the workshop that he prided himself over. He didn’t have any tasks in most rooms he guided Link to, but if he could just nudge the child’s wonder to fully come out…</p><p>“It’ll be worth it,” North said aloud to the other guardians. He had long settled in his office and had called for an impromptu meeting. Just a mere fifteen minutes ago, he had persuaded Link to go explore the rest of the place without him. He had also offered his most trusted elves to accompany the boy… </p><p>That might’ve been a terrible idea. </p><p>But he hasn’t heard of anything remotely <em>bad </em>happening yet, so he took it as a good sign. </p><p>“So this Link kid, how’s he hangin’?” Bunny asked, leaning against the wooden pillar.</p><p>“He is doing just fine. The drink you made worked wonders!”</p><p>“It’s simply lemon-ginger tea. I only added a few extra ingredients to help speed up recovery.”</p><p>North expressed a grateful smile in return before flickering his fatigued gaze towards Tooth. Their eyes met, but she quickly broke it off and continued to buzz around the room. Only then did the tooth fairy stopped when she spoke out her thoughts. </p><p>“Did he mention anything regarding his injuries? Where he’s from? His parents?”</p><p>“Every time I asked him, he completely ignored me until I changed the topic,” North answered before yawning. He tossed a wood to the fireplace, “He has yet to utter a word to me… You see, we communicate through ink and paper. He cannot seem to speak and I do worry when written conversations are not an option. However, it <em>seems </em>as though he himself has no interest in going back to... wherever he came from.</p><p>“And it <em>seems </em>as though no one is searching for him nor reported a lost child befitting his appearance. So, in <em>my </em>mind, there’s only one possible solution! I have decided to take him in.”</p><p>Silence overtook the entire room. Only the audible tinglings of golden sand could be heard.</p><p>“<em>Are you sure you’re alright taking care of him? </em> ” Sandman stepped forward, “ <em> You already seem exhausted.” </em></p><p>“I assure you, I’m fine with taking care of the ditya. He’s a good kid, trust me!”</p><p> As North tossed another wood into the fire, the three guardians gave each other a knowing glance. Sandy stared at him for a moment before adding, <em> “If you need any help, we are always willing to assist. </em>”</p><p>“Very much appreciated.” Oh bless this sandman. North rubbed his temples as he weighed in his decision. He might take that offer sooner than he might’ve liked. While Link is his top priority, he is not his only responsibility. “To tell you the truth, I’m behind schedule. Christmas is rapidly approaching and I need fresh minds for ideas, as well as extra sets of hands.” </p><p>“We can fix that, right fellas?” Tooth looked over at the other guardians to which they all nodded.</p><p>“You are too kind, my friends,” North beamed. He was promptly reminded of how great and supportive his friends are. With all three of his friends helping out, Christmas would go by without a hitch…</p><p>Wait, three? Wasn’t there supposed to be four? Now that he thinks of it- </p><p>“Radi vsego svyatogo- where’s Jack?”</p>
<hr/><p>Following the pair of sprightly elves, Link found himself in a corridor with large, arched windows overlooking the arctic tundra.  Other than the door he came through and presumably the one at the end, no other doors occupied the walls opposite of the windows. Instead, portraits and landscape paintings with various dimensions were strung in their place. Leaving behind a vacant, endless hallway with nothing but a red carpet, oyster-white walls, and the sound of one’s thoughts. </p><p>The jingle of the elves’ hats echoed around them as they continued walking down the corridor. One of the elves, Sergei, had latched onto his arm and happily hopped each step he took. The other, Gregor, who was far ahead of them had managed to trip over an unflatten section of the carpet. </p><p>Link sighed and halted in his step, causing Sergei to bump against him. Disappointed with the sudden lack of movement, the elf quickly ran towards his friend and pounced on him. This resulted in a game of tag between the elves, completely forgetting their duty to look after the child. </p><p>The Hylian stepped in front of an arched window, watching the snow paint over the mountain tops along with the orange hues of the sunset. The winter scenery reminded him of the village his father would take him to every couple of months. He let his hands gently push against the window, feeling the chill numb his fingers. Closing his eyes, he imagined the village before him. With the smell of pine and the coolness of the breeze stinging your face, Link could almost transport himself back there. </p><p>He recalled how his father would always greet the Elder first. How the fledglings would often crowd around the pot during supper, singing a song of salmon meunière and wildberries. How once a year, teens and adults showcase their skills of flight above the lake. Catching the updraft and twisting their bodies in a display of aerial techniques, all the while shooting targets with arrows-</p><p>
  <em> “You can dream all you want, but you’ll never be able to fly.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Link turned his head towards the direction of the voice. A navy-feathered fledgling stood, his arms crossed as he leaned against the fence, “Don’t bother denying it. I’ve seen the way you watched them. Every time you come to visit, all you ever do is watch.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The golden-haired child had seen this fledgling before. They were introduced by their respective guardians on the second visitation, but Link cannot remember what his name was. Neither of them was interested in one another at that time, so any attempts of socialization were cut short. If he recalled, the fledgling was the adopted son of the Elder. Oftentimes, he was found by himself lost in thought or on the sidelines watching the other fledglings play.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The fledgling didn’t seem to be much older than him, rather, both seemed to be roughly the same age. Reassured by that notion, Link simply smiled at him.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “You’re right, but it won’t stop me from dreaming though.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Of course. Everyone envies the Ritos gift of flight,” the fledgling said, setting himself on the same bench as Link, “It’s only natural for Hylians and the like to dream of the impossibility.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> A harsh breeze blew past them, bringing their eyes to the figures that caused it. Two Ritos of opposing teams chased the moving target. The target itself was painted onto a balloon, which was attached to a propeller that moved it erratically. The caramel-feathered Rito aimed, only to miss the target by a hair. The second Rito came from behind, locking her sights on her prey, before letting the arrow fly from the tips of her wing. The target bursts, earning a point for her team. A victorious whoop could be heard as the two Ritos rushed for another target.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “You know, I’ve never seen you fly.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Pardon?” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Even back then,” Link continued, “When the others flew to Warbler’s Nest to sing, you refused to join. Or the time the other fledglings were playing with the updraft, you instead turned the other way. Do you not want to fly?”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Don’t be foolish.” The fledgling rolled his eyes. He shifted his weight against the bench as his navy feathers ruffled up slightly. At first, he refused to make eye contact with Link. His eyes darting along the Hebra peaks before finally settling on the wooden floorboards that make up the Landing. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “It’s not like I don’t want to fly,” He muttered, “I just… can’t.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The last word was whispered and was almost drowned out by the wind if not saved by the Hylians gift of great hearing. The pair sat silently, watching the competition play out in front of them. Link risked a glance at the fledgling before extending his hand, just like how his father taught him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I’m Link, by the way.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I’m fully aware. I suppose you have forgotten mine? In that case, my name’s Revali.” </em>
</p><p>His father was originally going to take him to the Zora Domain, but since he was moved to be stationed in Hebra, he took Link to the Rito Village instead. Link was glad though. He never would’ve met his best friend otherwise. Well, <em> his </em>best friend anyway. He didn’t know if Revali mutually considered him as a best friend. Sometimes, Link would entertain the idea of being missed by the Rito during the months he didn’t visit. </p><p>How is Revali right now, anyway? Link hoped his friend would not be too sad about his disappearance. </p><p>Too deep in his thoughts, he had almost forgotten where he was at. Once deciding that was enough for the day, he finally opened his eyes to the familiar arctic tundra. His hands no longer retained any heat to them, and the elves were nowhere to be seen.</p><p>A figure then smacked flat against the window. It’s a wonder how that window was able to survive such force. </p><p>Link gaped at the person. White locks whipped against his rose-tinted cheeks as he clutched the ledge of the window. He was mouthing something, however, no words came out. Huh, that’s <em>strange</em>. The windows must be built thick then. Link presumed he wanted to go in by the way he was gesturing to the latch.  </p><p>So he did just that and opened the window, allowing Jack to stumble in. </p><p>“Thanks, kid,” Jack said as he bent over in pain, “I thought they were joking about changing the windows. If I knew that, I would’ve found another way in.”</p><p>He laid there for a moment before finally deciding to get up, “Anyways, I’ve been looking for you and, well, I’m glad I found you!”</p><p>Link nodded before closing the window behind them. Jack gave him the once-over and beamed at him.</p><p>“Hey, the clothes fit! I was worried there for a second, but you seem to be comfortable.”</p><p>Link took a look at his outfit which comprises an ivory-white turtleneck and some denim pants. It was a strange outfit, but he didn’t complain. He kind of enjoyed the new texture. </p><p>“Sorry for not seeing you sooner… But, uh, hi- you can call me Jack.”</p><p>Link nodded again, setting his eyes on the ground and shuffling his foot. Jack crouched down to his field to vision. He tilted his head slightly and observed the boy. He figured the boy was shy but didn’t expect total silence. </p><p>“Your name is Link, right?” Without waiting for a response, Jack continued, “Word spreads quickly among Yetis. Better yet, Phil was the one who updated me on your progress.” </p><p>He stood back up and looked around. He paused for a moment before an idea hit him. Giving a cheeky grin, he turned his heels towards the end of the corridor. He looked over his shoulder to find the child had his full attention on him. Good.</p><p>“Hey, do you like snow?” The child stared at him with wide eyes as he conjured up a small snow cloud. He released the cloud and watched it float until it bumped the ceiling. He then frosted the walls and windows before seeping ice onto the red carpet. With a flick of his wrist, a snowball began to form. North might get mad- no, he <em>will </em>get mad, but he’ll deal with it when that happens. What Link needs, he believes, is a little bit of fun. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>"Radi vsego svyatogo" - "For heaven's sake"<br/>"Ditya" - "Child"</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Watch Out For... Nevermind</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Been a bit of a drongo myself haven’t I.” Bunny mumbled to no one in particular. A passing-by elf hummed in agreement before fleeing down the stairs. The Pooka, frustrated as he was, let out a long groan. He knew he shouldn’t have let Jack run off just before the meeting, yet he lets him anyways.</p><p><em> Be back before you know it— I’ll be quick as a bunny, promise! </em>Jack had told him before giving a reassuring wink and flying off to who knows where.</p><p>It was a senseless promise really, a promise that one knows far too well it would never be fulfilled. So why did Bunny let the sprite slip away so easily? Even he couldn’t answer that. One thing for sure, he didn’t like the mischievous glint in Jack’s eyes. It’s a tell-tale sign for trouble... and more often than not, that trouble was mostly reserved for Bunny himself.</p><p>Regretting the decision or lack thereof, he continued to trudge along the winding halls of the Workshop. After the meeting, North had forced him to search for Jack solo. The reasons he came up with were simply ‘<em>Tooth and Sandy work 24/7!’ </em> Or <em> ‘I have Christmas to worry about, Easter is months away,</em>’ before finishing it with ‘<em>You and Jack need a bit more bonding time anyway.</em>’ </p><p>That bastard. </p><p>Luckily for him, Bunny had a guess where Jack was headed. With the recent events that happened within a mere week, it became quite predictable with the frostbite. Usually, he would spot Jack skating around the lake or having snowball fights somewhere. Now, he finds Jack hanging around the Pole more, regularly checking in with the Yetis. He's seen Jack relentlessly pester North if there’s anything he could provide. With that thought in mind, Bunny felt a bit of warmth crawling up his chest. There are things the frost sprite does which has earned his admiration. Though, he’ll never admit it out loud.</p><p>Turning a corner, his ears picked out a soft thud coming from the end of the hall. A second thud was heard before a glass-like shatter pierced through the air. </p><p>“What has that dag gotten himself into this time.”</p><p>Zipping down the hall, he didn’t expect the other half of the corridor would be knee-deep in snow. In front of him, a path of ice followed the red rug before twisting itself along the walls. Bunny looked down the corner the ice turned to and realized where it was headed. Quickly, he went in the opposite direction and used a shortcut to the main room. His plan? Cut off Jack and Link before they make an even bigger mess.  </p><p>Bursting through the main room of the Workshop, he appeared on the third floor and managed to dodge the ongoing traffic of elves and yetis. He then pushed himself against the railing to avoid getting trampled over. Twisting his ears, he attempted to focus his hearing on Jack. There! He’s making his way down the northeast hall and judging by the sound… </p><p>Jack’s getting awfully close. The northeast entrance was near to a grand staircase that led right down to the first floor. The Yetis below busied themselves with toy-making and gift wrapping. Oh Moon, they were unaware of the chaos coming to them. Panicking, Bunny hurried towards the entrance only to be blocked by a wagon stacked with various colored paint cans. He shouted after the yeti to move the wagon out of the way, but it was too late. He could already see Jack speeding towards them. </p><hr/><p>“Don’t let go, Link!” Jack laughed as they flew through the halls. With his staff, he dragged it along the floor and drew an icy path. Behind him, Link yelped as the ice sled hit a small bump. He clenched tighter onto the sides, numbing his fingers somewhat. As they bend around a corner, the hall widened and sloped slightly downwards. Jack moved further ahead, creating a narrow slide of ice. </p><p>“Here we go!”</p><p>Link could feel his stomach drop as the sled accelerated. At the same time, he felt something bubble up in his chest. He thought it was fear at first, but was quickly overwhelmed with excitement. Unknowingly, he broke out a genuine smile. He closed his eyes, enhancing the sensation of the wind grazing his skin. Although it was fleeting, he felt… Free. </p><p>The trance was only broken when a loud shout was heard: “Watch out!” </p><p>Upon seeing the wagon blocking the entrance, Jack sprang into action. With a harsh flick of his staff, the ice shifted upward, transforming into a ramp. Unfortunately for him, he miscalculated the distance between him and the obstacle. He collided with the paint cans, spilling a spectrum of colors down the staircase. Tumbling after it, he landed into the pool of paint below. </p><p>Link gasped as the sled ascended the ramp before vaulting over the obstacle. He felt his grip slip from the sled and, before long, was flailing midway through the air. His eyes widened as the ground came nearer and braced himself for impact. A blur of grey caught his peripheral vision and not a moment later he was enveloped in warmness. The next moment, however, they crashed into a stack of toy robots and trains. Bunny then sat up and cradled the boy in his arms, his back facing the frost sprite.</p><p>Jack pushed himself off the ground and hurried after them, paint trailing behind him. “Bunny! Thank the Moon you were here-”  </p><p>“What the hell were you thinking?” </p><p>Jack paused midstep, “What?”</p><p>Bunny turned around, a scowl aiming towards the frost sprite. He then gestures wildly to the hallway above them, “An ice-coaster? <em> Really</em>? Were you even thinking of the child’s well-being?!” </p><p>Jack took a step back. His brows furrowed as he stared at the Pooka with shock. His face then twisted with anger, “Do I even- what’s up with you?! All I ever<em> think </em>about is Link’s well-being! Sure, the end there wasn’t ideal but I kept him safe regardless.” </p><p>Bunny continued to glower at him, “You nearly jeopardized his life!” </p><p>“Stop being dramatic, he’s-”</p><p>A burst of soft, warm laughter broke out. Link clasped his hands on his mouth to silence himself but failed. Instead, he doubled over. </p><p>“...fine.” </p><p>Bunny lifted the boy, only to get stunned when a pair of cold hands squished his face. Link smiled at him then proceeded to giggle. A thundering rumble of yetis could be heard entering the main room along with the host.</p><p>“Jack? Bunny?”  North stared at the chaos in front of him, “...Oy-vey.”</p><p>Bunny set Link down and the boy quickly ran over to the larger man. North knelt beside him, ruffling the snow out of his honey-golden locks.</p><p>“Are you hurt?”</p><p>Link shook his head before gesturing towards the remnants of the ice-coaster. Using his hands, he motioned the ride, recalling the fast speed and when he flew off the ramp. By the end, he beamed up at the older man. North’s facial features soften before ruffling the hair once more. He glanced at the trail of paint and followed it up to Jack, who was dripping in colors of blue, yellow, green, and violet.</p><p>“You look terrible.” </p><p>Jack shrugged, “I’ve been worse.” </p><p>North stared at him and nodded slowly before turning towards the mess. He watched the yetis begin to clean up the paint and toys that got caught in the mayhem. A few elves carried buckets and mops up the stairs to drain the rapidly melting ice. </p><p>“Tis a minor setback but,” North lifted his foot off the soaked red rug, “it’s fixable.”</p><p>“Are you angry about… all of this?”</p><p>“Rightfully so. It’s two months before Christmas and this- all of this- is slowing down production!” North gave out a forced laugh which caused Jack to wince, “But, as long as no one’s hurt, we should be alright.” </p><p>Jack stiffened but mostly looked relieved. He accidentally locked eyes with Bunny, resulting in him glaring at the said Pooka. Bunny broke eye contact and made an audible ‘tsk’ before making his way towards the exit. </p><p>“Where do you think you’re going?”</p><p>“Rack off, North. I’m done with the drongo, deal with him yourself.”</p><p>“I have yet to punish the two of you. Your actions have consequences, you know.”</p><p>“Why are you roping me in with <em> his </em> mess!” Bunny emphasized as he gestured towards Jack. </p><p>“Because,” North smiled and covered Link’s ears as best as he could, “He was <em> your </em> responsibility, no?”</p><p>Jack and Bunny stared at him with scandalized looks, before giving out synchronized protests:</p><p>“Are you out of your fucking mind?!”</p><p>“I didn’t ask for a damn babysitter!”</p><p>With that, Bunny stormed out of the workshop. North quickly called out after him, “I’ll see you tomorrow then!” </p><hr/><p>North took Link and Jack to his office, giving the frost sprite a new set of clothing in exchange for his stained one. While he went off to change, Link situated himself next to the fireplace as North looked through his collections. Once they had all settled, Jack threw himself onto the sofa with a loud groan. </p><p>“What troubles you, my friend?” North asked nonchalantly, all the while grabbing his shashka which was mounted on the wall. He took out a cotton cloth and carefully cleaned the blade.</p><p>“You know very well what ‘troubles’ me.” Jack retorted, “Honestly, are you really making me work with <em>him</em>? You’re just setting yourself up with disappointment.” </p><p>“Maybe. I thought you would’ve been thrilled.” </p><p>“Thrilled? Why the heck would I be thrilled being stuck with an oversized jerk of a rabbit?” North eyed him but kept silent as he cleaned the tips of his blade. Jack rambled on, “All he ever does is criticize me for what I do. I thought we both changed after last year-- I must’ve imagined the whole thing then.”</p><p>Jack draped his arm across his eyes, his mind swirling of the events leading up. All the heat from his anger was long gone. What was left was a void in its stead. He bit his lip as he carefully structured his next phrase, “He blamed me for everything else, I should’ve expected him to blame me for this as well. Yeah, it <em>was </em>a bit reckless of me, but I would’ve saved Link anyway! With or without him! </p><p>"I <em> know </em>he thinks I’m a menace... I don’t care though. In the end, He’s still a self-centered, hot-headed prick! I don’t need his opinion or approval-”</p><p>“But you’re still thinking about him, yes?” North interrupted. Silence filled the room, saved for the sound of the shashka making contact with an apple. The crunch echoed as the blade sliced the fruit in half, then in fourths and sixths. Jack gritted his teeth and heaved out a sigh.</p><p>“I- I don’t know… It’s just- it’s complicated. For me.”</p><p>North handed a slice to Link who took it hesitantly. He offered one to Jack but was politely declined. Link glanced up at the older man beside him and tugged on his sleeves. Once he got his attention, he pointed to himself and the guardian in front of him. The former cossack smiled and patted his shoulders. </p><p>“If it cheers you up, Link will help with your workload tomorrow.” </p><p>“Have you forgotten what just happened today? Bunny won’t like that.”</p><p>“Bah, Bunny this Bunny that,” North laughed, “Thought you said you didn’t care what Bunny thinks.”</p><p>Jack felt a jab at his heart. He took the nearest throw pillow and buried his face in it. North proceeded to stroke his beard in thought before the realization hit him.</p><p>“Don’t feel so guilty, I’m sure he won’t hate you for too long. He's probably off painting eggs or some random Easter thing he comes up with. I assure you, he’s fine.”</p><hr/><p>Bunny was in fact not fine. He’d been pacing tirelessly around his kitchen ever since he arrived back at his Warren. The timer chimed, announcing his fifth batch of chocolate is ready to be molded and placed in the freezer. The sixth was already heating up in the pot, while the seventh is currently being prepared. Even so, he still couldn’t get his mind off the incident.</p><p>Nor could he get his mind off Jack.</p><p>Looks like he’d have to create another batch of chocolates tonight. He leaned against the stone counter and forced out a heavy sigh. Maybe he did overreact a bit, or maybe it’s the guilt telling him that he did. </p><p>How could he not? Especially not when Jack’s expression is ingrained in his brain. The way the purple paint dripped to his knitted brows, or the green and blue smeared just below his lips as he scowled. Only after his initial outburst did he notice the pained look. </p><p>The timer chimed again, he lowered the flames underneath the pot. Bunny stirred gently, zoning out over the dark hues of caramel brown combined with silky textures. Sometimes, he wondered if this batch was as any good as the others. It was often tempting to even try one just to confirm it… Best not to. It wouldn’t do good for him otherwise. </p><p>A subtle clink broke his trance. Bunny looked over to find one of his eggs, or googies as he likes to call them, had bumped into a jar of honey. He picked it up and inspected it, noting the periwinkle base color. Floral patterns, similar to ferns, could be seen throughout. Strange, he doesn’t recall painting this one. </p><p>“You’ve got lost, haven’t you?” He said softly. The googie responded by tilting slightly in a quizzical manner. The Pooka huffed out a chuckle and placed the egg onto the counter. Perhaps he could let this one stay with him for a short while.</p><p>The timer chimed yet again and his focus was back to the chocolates. Removing the pot from the heat, he waits for the chocolates to cool off before placing them in the mold. Bunny went to grab another bowl to place another set of ingredients. This time, he had lost count of how many batches he made. Was this his eighth? Ninth? Who knows. He sneaked a glance at the googie. Now that he thinks about it, it sort of reminded him of Jack.</p><p>For Man in Moon’s sake, why do minor details remind him of Jack Frost?! At first, he presumed it’s because he was used to Jack’s signature blue— but the googie itself was not blue. The color leaned more closer to pastel purple with a tint of blue. Or maybe the fern-like patterns reminded him of frost. Jack could create beautiful designs with frost. Is it possible that— ...Now he’s just overcomplicating things. Gosh, this is so irritating. He scowled to himself, unintentionally stirring the mixture a bit aggressively. </p><p>Which worried the googie and thus became restless. Once it got Bunny’s attention, the googie leaned against his paw before staring at him, puzzled.</p><p>“Don’t worry, mate,” Bunny reassured, “Something just came up, is all.” </p><p>The googie plopped itself down in anticipation. Bunny’s lips curled a bit and leaned further against the counter. </p><p>“You see, there’s this larrikin aight? He’s… reckless but he means well. I kinda argued with him over his decisions and it didn’t go well. Now, I can’t help but feel like I made the situation worse than it was.” </p><p>The googie, of course, said nothing. It was strange for him to open up so suddenly, but he did feel some weight lifted off his chest. He lightly patted the googie who responded affectionately. Bunny shifted his gaze back on the fern-like patterns. He needed to be the bigger person and properly apologize to Jack. The timer chimed once more behind him.</p><p>“Looks like I’ll be heading back there tomorrow.”   </p>
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